For the goal-driven Jody Van Zijl of Reddam House in Waterfall, being in the matrix is the light at the end of the tunnel that keeps him motivated.
Achieving seven distinctions and achieving an average of 89%, 18-year-old Van Zijl is overjoyed and proud of himself.
Van Zijl is one of Reddam House’s best performers.
‘Just work hard’
“I’ve always been academically driven and I work hard,” she said.
Van Zijl says the best way to navigate through the matrix is to maintain balance. According to Van Zijl, everyone thinks that the best students sit at home all weekend and don’t have a life, but to do well in matric or school generally requires sacrifice.
“At the beginning of last year, I said that there are some things that require sacrifice and I decide what I want and what I don’t. Preparing for the matric is mental preparation and hard work,” he said.
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“It’s easier said than done but you just have to work hard and keep your nose in the books.”
Van Zijl said the challenge he faced during his travels was the constant scrutiny. He said that Matric is almost like a revision of what you have studied for the past 12 years and requires consistency.
“It’s not like you’re learning new things that are really hard, but you’re doing three different sets of exams that are a lot of learning which can be a huge mental strain for some people,” he said.
“I’m a very tall person and I put a lot of pressure on my academic results, so it’s hard to worry about tests and exams because the exams don’t stop.”
Anticipating when he will start his career, Van Zijl said he will continue his studies at Stellenbosch University to pursue a degree in Biology with a focus on psychology.
‘Life changes every day’
“I’m not sure what I’m going to do after my degree, but I know that I have an interest in psychology. I’m also going to continue with dancing because it’s something I like to do.
Van Zijl concluded that it is important that people keep their love for learning and enjoy it as much as possible.
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“As children, we want to leave the school years. As life changes every day, I have learned to enjoy learning new things so people should relax and enjoy as much as possible,” he said.
-lungas@citizen.co.za